Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels inversely correlate with lung function improvement (delta FEV1) in cystic fibrosis patients receiving ivacaftor treatment

Background

We have recently shown that human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels correlate with the severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. However, there are no data on how HE4 levels alter in patients receiving CFTR modulating therapy.

Bernard–Soulier syndrome in pregnancy

Bernard–Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare autosomal recessively inherited bleeding disorder. Pregnancy in patients with BSS is characterized by ante‐, intra‐, or postpartum haemorrhage, which may be delayed and severe. There is no consensus in the management of BSS in pregnancy and so far only 16 pregnancies in nine patients have been described. We report a further three pregnancies in two women with the syndrome. We also outline our management of pregnant patients with BSS.     

Multi-day radon signals with a radioactive decay limb -- occurrence and geophysical significance.

Multi-day signals, generally with duration of 2-10 days, are a prominent temporal variation type of radon (Rn) in geogas in the unsaturated zone. Rare multi-day Rn signals have been found which are characterized by: (a) a declining limb lasting up to 10 days which conforms to the radioactive decay of Rn, (b) recurs at the same location and (c) is recorded in diverse situations-volcanic and seismogenic. It suggested that a Rn blob is injected at a lower level on a steady upward flow of geogas whereby the rise and final fall of the signal are attributed to the edges of the blob while the central Rn-decay segment records the passing of the decaying blob itself. Rn-decay signals are a small subset of multi-day Rn signals which are considered as highly irregular and unusable for the understanding of geophysical processes. In difference, it is concluded that multi-day Rn signals are probably proxies of subtle geodynamic processes at upper crustal levels and are therefore significant for studying such processes.     

The Impact of IMRT and Proton Radiotherapy on Secondary Cancer Incidence

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is concern about the increase of radiation-induced malignancies with the application of modern radiation treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and proton radiotherapy. Therefore, X-ray scatter and neutron radiation as well as the impact of the primary dose distribution on secondary cancer incidence are analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The organ equivalent dose (OED) concept with a linear-exponential and a plateau dose-response curve was applied to dose distributions of 30 patients who received radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy was used in eleven patients, another eleven patients received IMRT with 6-MV photons, and eight patients were treated with spot-scanned protons. The treatment plans were recalculated with 15-MV and 18-MV photons. Secondary cancer risk was estimated based on the OED for the different treatment techniques. RESULTS: A modest increase of 15% radiation-induced cancer results from IMRT using low energies (6 MV), compared to conventional four-field planning with 15-MV photons (plateau dose-response: 1%). The probability to develop a secondary cancer increases with IMRT of higher energies by 20% and 60% for 15 MV and 18 MV, respectively (plateau dose-response: 2% and 30%). The use of spot-scanned protons can reduce secondary cancer incidence as much as 50% (independent of dose-response). CONCLUSION: By including the primary dose distribution into the analysis of radiation-induced cancer incidence, the resulting increase in risk for secondary cancer using modern treatment techniques such as IMRT is not as dramatic as expected from earlier studies. By using 6-MV photons, only a moderate risk increase is expected. Spot-scanned protons are the treatment of choice in regard to secondary cancer incidence.     

Treatment of nasopharyngeal stenosis by prosthetic hollow stents: Clinical experience in eight patients.

OBJECTIVE: A series of nasopharyngeal appliance designs is presented that represents our evolving experience over a 20-year period in the adjunctive use of prosthetic stents in the surgical correction of nasopharyngeal stenosis. DESIGN: Retrospective assessment of effectiveness of two nasopharyngeal stenosis hollow stent designs in a consecutive series of patients for relief of nasal obstructive symptoms. SETTING: Tertiary academic medical center, Craniofacial Program at Children's Hospital. PATIENTS: Four patients with nasopharyngeal stenosis were treated with a preoperatively fabricated stent made from a clasped palatal appliance onto which hollow acrylic conduits were extended through surgically re-created pharyngeal ports. A subsequent set of four patients with nasopharyngeal stenosis were treated with intraoperatively-fashioned silastic grommets, as opposed to palatal appliances. INTERVENTIONS: Postoperative intraoral stenting of nasopharyngeal ports. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maintenance of pharyngeal port opening after 1 year, improvement in nasal airway obstructive symptoms. RESULTS: The palatal appliance stents were less well tolerated and had a lower maintenance of port patency after device removal (4 of 8, 50%). The silastic grommets provided better retention into the ports and increased patient tolerance, as well as better 1-year port maintenance (6 of 8, 75%). CONCLUSIONS: The grommet stent appliance offers numerous advantages over a conventional dental-clasped appliance for prosthetic nasopharyngeal stenting, including obviation of extensive preoperative preparation, ease of insertion and removal, and exchange of air during the stenting period. Improved nasopharyngeal patency with this device may be due to greater patient tolerance and subsequent longer use.     

Maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure measurement in tracheotomised patients.

The present study compared four different sites and conditions for the measurement of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) in 38 spontaneous breathing tracheotomised patients. Of the patients, 28 had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The four different conditions were: 1) through a cuff inflated cannula (condition A); 2) through the mouth with a deflated cannula (condition B); 3) through the mouth with a phonetic uncuffed cannula (condition C); and 4) through the mouth after stoma closure (condition D). Five trials in each condition were performed using a standardised method. The measurement of both MIP and MEP differed significantly depending on the condition of measurement. MIP taken in condition A was significantly higher when compared with conditions B, C and D. MEP in condition A was significantly higher when compared with condition B and D. In condition A the highest frequency of the best measurement of MIP and MEP was observed at the fourth and fifth effort, respectively. The same results were obtained after the selection of only COPD patients. In conclusion, respiratory muscle assessment differs significantly depending on measurement condition. Measurement through inflated cannula tracheotomy yields higher values of both maximal inspiratory and maximal expiratory pressure.     

Role of tumour necrosis factor-alpha receptor p75 in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary inflammation and emphysema.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by a local pulmonary inflammatory response to respiratory pollutants and by systemic inflammation. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been implicated in systemic effects of COPD and operates by binding the p55 (R1) and p75 (R2) TNF-alpha receptors. To investigate the contribution of each TNF-alpha receptor in the pathogenesis of COPD, the present study examined the effects of chronic air or cigarette smoke (CS) exposure in TNF-alpha R1 knockout (KO) mice, TNF-alpha R2 KO mice and wild type (WT) mice. CS was found to significantly increase the protein levels of soluble TNF-alpha R1 (by four-fold) and TNF-alpha R2 (by 10-fold) in the bronchoalveolar lavage of WT mice. After 3 months, CS induced a prominent pulmonary inflammatory cell influx in WT and TNF-alpha R1 KO mice. In TNF-alpha R2 KO mice, CS-induced pulmonary inflammation was clearly attenuated. After 6 months, no emphysema was observed in CS-exposed TNF-alpha R2 KO mice in contrast to WT and TNF-alpha R1 KO mice. CS-exposed WT and TNF-alpha R1 KO mice failed to gain weight, whereas the body mass of TNF-alpha R2 KO mice was not affected. These current findings suggest that both tumour necrosis factor-alpha receptors contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but tumour necrosis factor-alpha receptor-2 is the most active receptor in the development of inflammation, emphysema and systemic weight loss in this murine model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.